New Minimally Invasive Coated Vascular Stent Graft Now Being Used In PAD Patients

Surgeons at the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center in Houston were among the first in the U.S. to implant a new, less invasive stent graft designed to reduce the risk of blood clots in patients treated for peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which affects as many as 12 million Americans over the age of 50. The new graft, approved for use in the U.S. this month, is the first vascular stent graft available in the U.S. that has a blood thinner bonded to its surface to prevent clotting long term. It is also the only device of its kind to be implanted via a minimally invasive, catheter based procedure rather than requiring open surgery.